Autism Rising: CDC Says Autism Increase is Real

One of the heated  debates, of the many, that arise in discussion of autism related matters is whether the rates of autism increase is real, in whole  or in part, or whether the rates are increasing solely because of 1994 diagnostic definition changes in the DSM and increased social awareness.  The  United States Center for Disease Control however, in arguing that thimerosal, the mercury contained in some vaccines, does not cause autism disorders, has taken the clear and unambiguous position that increasing numbers of autism diagnoses reflect a real increase in autism disorders:

"Does thimerosal cause autism?

Research does not show any link between thimerosal in vaccines and autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder. Although thimerosal was taken out of childhood vaccines in 2001, autism rates have gone up, which is the opposite of what would be expected if thimerosal caused autism."

Obviously if the increases in autism diagnoses did not reflect real increases in autism there would be no merit to the CDC position that increased autism rates confirm that thimerosal does not cause autism.   The increases in autism diagnoses are real, autism IS rising, the CDC says so.

Autism Vaccine Myth Busting: Thimerosal Is Still Used In Vaccines

One of the myths pushed in the mainstream media is that thimerosal, the mercury preservative used in vaccines, has been removed from vaccines.  That position simply is not true. 

The recent H1N1 panic showed that health authorities and pharmaceuticals still push vaccines containing thimerosal when it suits them.  The Ipswich Massachusetts Chronicle web site on  February 2, 2010 advertised immunization clinics for February 16 and 25, 2010 for thimerosal containing H1N1 shots:

"Only the injectable (shot) form of the H1N1 influenza vaccine will be used.


Participants should wear a shirt with loose0fitting sleeves or short sleeves to the clinic since the injection will be given in the upper arm.


Just like the seasonal flu vaccine, many formulations of the H1N1 vaccine contain a preservative called thimerosal. The vaccine that will be used at the clinic contains thimerosal."

Here in New Brunswick Canada the H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine also contained thimerosal and adjuvants and which were declared safe by our provincial health authorities as reflected in this  October 8, 2009 NB government news release. Of particular note, our provincial health authorities declared that thimerosal does not cause autism and is safe to give to pregnant women, one of the high priority groups targeted to receive the H1N1 shot during the fall H1N1 Pandemic/Panic:

• There have also been reports and public speculation about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. The contents of the H1N1 vaccine will protect against contracting H1N1. The included additives and preservatives are there to help the vaccine work, and are not cause for alarm.
• As a multi-dose vaccine, the H1N1 influenza vaccine will contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal to prevent contamination of the vaccine by serious infectious agents from the growth of bacteria. Thimerosal also has a stabilizing effect on the vaccine, ensuring its effectiveness.
• The seasonal flu vaccine and most hepatitis B vaccines are also multi-dose vaccines, and thimerosal is added during the manufacturing process to maintain sterility of the vaccine.
• There is no safety reason to avoid using vaccines containing thimerosal. The best available scientific evidence to date shows no link between vaccines containing thimerosal and any adverse health condition, including neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
• The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has reviewed the safety of thimerosal and concluded that, "There is no legitimate safety reason to avoid the use of thimerosal-containing products for children or older individuals, including pregnant women." International bodies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, share this opinion.
• Most of the H1N1 vaccine available in New Brunswick will also contain an adjuvant. An adjuvant is a substance that is added to a vaccine in order to boost an individual's immune response. It also means that less of the virus, or antigen, is needed to make a dose of the vaccine. Unadjuvanted vaccine has no booster element, and more antigen is needed to create this kind of vaccine.
• By developing an adjuvanted vaccine, Canada has used less of the virus material (antigen), allowing us to immunize more people in a timely manner.
• Adjuvants are not new. Many commonly used vaccines in Canada contain an adjuvant. Adjuvants have been used for several decades to boost immune response to vaccines. However, adjuvants have not previously been used with influenza vaccines in Canada.
• The WHO has indicated that it has no special concerns about the safety of adjuvanted H1N1 vaccines in general.

The WHO is now under scrutiny for its role in pushing the H1N1 panic button.  And not everyone shares our NB officials' unquestioning faith  that thimerosal does not play a role in causing autism particularly when given to pregnant women.  Dr. Bernadine Healy, a highly respected former US National Institutes of Health Director has stated several times that the issue of a thimerosal autism connection is still an open question. She has made particular reference to the possible effect of the mercury preservative thimerosal o the fetuses of pregnant women:

"thimerosal crosses the placenta, and pregnant women are advised to get flu shots, which often contain it. Studies in mice suggest that genetic variation influences brain sensitivity to the toxic effects of mercury. And a primate study designed to mimic vaccination in infants reported in 2005 that thimerosal may clear from the blood in a matter of days but leaves inorganic mercury behind in the brain."

Former NIH Director Dr. Healy's concerns do not appear to have been taken seriously by public health authorities during the great H1N1 Swine Flu scare of 2009.

autism

Autism Rising: National Post & Michael Fumento Say Autism Is Increasing in Canada, the US, Sweden and Denmark

 " Published evaluations of children in Sweden, Denmark and Canada have also shown that autism diagnoses continued to increase after the discontinuation of vaccinations with thimerosal. U.S. cases keep rising as well."

- National Post, February 17, 2010: Michael Fumento: The damage done on vaccinations

The above comment by Michael Fumento,  a featured commentator on the National Post,  is part of an opinion piece condemning critics of vaccine safety and particularly those who assert a connection between some vaccines and autism disorders.  

Fumento and the National Post dismiss fears that autism disorders in some children are caused by the mercury based vaccine preservative thimerosal by pointing to increased autism rates after the alleged removal of thimerosal from vaccines in Denmark, Sweden, the US and Canada. 

For that argument to have any weight at all it must assume that the autism increases are real and not attributable to shifting diagnostic definitions or increased social awareness.

The National Post and Michael Fumento have stated clearly their position that increases in autism diagnoses reflect actual increases in cases of autism disorders.

autism

CDC Advisor Says Autism Increasing in Denmark, Sweden and the United States

Autism epidemic deniers will never acknowledge that autism is really increasing.  Another expert however  has stated that autism is increasing in Denmark, Sweden and the United States.  Adopting the logic of experts like Dr. Eric Fombonne and Dr. Judy Minshew  Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist  Patsy Stinchfield,  a member of the CDC Advisory Committee that recommended that children in the US get annual flu shots,  dismissed  concerns that thimerosal in vaccines contributes to autism:

"Autism is a devastating condition but efforts to prevent autism by removing mercury from vaccines have been ineffective, even when mercury banned in the 1990s in a couple of European countries. 

"Denmark and Sweden, right. So no change. So they said 'Well if we think its Thimerosal or mercury, we'll take it out.' And they took it out and same in the United States," said Stinchfield. "And autism has done nothing but continue to increase.""

- Expert: H1N1 Vaccines Do Not Contain Mercury

Fombonne, Minshew and CDC advisor Stinchfield all argue that thimerosal has been disproven as a causal factor for autism disorders.  For their arguments to have merit the autism increases they are referencing as disproving any thimerosal autism connection would have to be real and not reflections of diagnostic definition expansion or ascertainment factors.

So what is causing the increasing rates of autism in Europe and the US? Most of the experts who weight in on the issue do so for the purpose of supporting vaccine safety.  The learned scholars  have demonstrated no real interest in studying and finding out  what is causing the startling autism increases that parents,  ill informed, hysterical, incompetent parents have been pointing out for years. 

Dr. Eric Fombonne and Dr. Nancy J. Minshew Both Said Autism Increases are Real

"   Nancy J. Minshew is finally ready to take off the gloves.After years of sitting back and hoping the science would speak for itself, the director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Excellence in Autism Research has decided it's time for her to take a personal stand.  Autism is not caused by vaccinations, she says, and those who continue to push that theory are endangering the lives of children and misdirecting the nation's scarce resources for autism research."   The weight of the evidence is so great that I don't think there is any room for dispute. I think the issue is done," said Dr. Minshew, who runs one of nine top autism research centers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

One of the main pieces of evidence against the vaccine theory, Minshew said, is that thimerosal has been banned from most childhood vaccines in America since 2001, and yet reported autism rates have continued to increase.

Dr. Eric Fombonne, an autism researcher at McGill University in Montreal, has an even more telling example of that. In Quebec, children who got vaccines from 1987 to 1991 had about half as much mercury exposure as those in the United States; from 1992 to 1995, they had the same amount; and from 1996 on they had no exposure at all because mercury preservatives were removed. Yet the autism rates in Quebec increased steadily through that entire period, and actually went up faster after the mercury was eliminated."

Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ScrippsNews, January 31, 2008

Followers of Dr. Eric Fombonne  (eg. Luna the Cat) insist that the good Doctor does not maintain that autism is rising.  They claim that he has published articles and made comments to the contrary. They assert  that his view is that the dramatic increases in autism disorders do not reflect real increases in autism; that they are due entirely to diagnostic definition changes, increased autism awareness etc. 

I agree that Dr. Fombonne has elsewhere argued that increases in autism are not real.  That is exactly why I pointed out that in the Mark Roth, ScrippsNews article above Dr. Fombonne said exactly the opposite.  The article is still available on line and, two years after it  appeared, there is no indication that Dr. Fombonne has sought to clarify his statements to Mr. Roth or to have his position as set out therein retracted or clarified.

Mr. Roth claims that Fombonne used rising autism rates in Quebec after the alleged removal of thimerosal from vaccines in that province to demonstrate that thimerosal did not cause autism.  That argument would have no merit if the rising autism rates referenced by Dr. Fombonne did not reflect REAL increases in autism. 

Nor did I take Dr. Fombonne's views as set out by Mr. Roth out of context.  His position that autism rates rose in Quebec after removal of thimerosal is identical to that of Dr. Nancy J. Minshew's statement as quoted by Mr. Roth. 

Dr. Fombonne and Dr. Minshew both argued that autism rose after removal of thimerosal from vaccines and that therefore thimerosal does not cause autism.   Dr. Minshew even called it one of the main pieces of evidence against the vaccine (thimerosal) causes autism theory.   She said that the weight of that evidence was so great that their was no longer room for doubt.   But that argument can only be right IF Dr. Minshew and Dr. Fombonne  were asserting that rising autism rates reflect a REAL  increase in autism.

Autism is rising, it is actually and really rising.  Take it from Dr. Minshew .... and Dr. Fombonne.

autism

Was the H1N1 a Fake Pandemic? A Council of Europe Motion to Investigate Drug Sellers Influence

In WHO to Clarify H1N1 Data After False Pandemic Claim Bloomberg  reports that "The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe plans to debate the theme “Faked pandemics: a threat to health” at a plenary session in Strasbourg, France" next week.  

Not to quibble too much with "B"but the debate is not just debate of a theme in an academic or abstract sense.  It is  debate on an actual motion which calls on the member states of the Council of Europe to conduct investigation of the influence of "drug makers" in defining and declaring pandemics.

I am not, and do not pretend to be, prescient.  I do not know what the outcome of the debate will be.  Given the emphasis placed by governments around the world on vaccines as public health tools and the active and vigorous discouragement of any debate of any safety concerns around vaccines though I would not expect to see the Council of Europe pass the motion and conduct any real investigations.  Nor do I expect the Council of Europe to find that the H1N1 Pandemic was overblown.  Of course I have been wrong before.  

As for whether it was reasonably forseeable that the  "pandemic" would not be as harsh as predicted by public health authorities there were credible skeptics who questioned the pandemic rhetoric many months ago.  As with any questioning of vaccine related issues skeptics and critics of public health authorities' "consensus" on these issues were largely ignored, ridiculed or demonized.  

As for whether "drug makers" or pharmaceuticals have too  much influence over public health authority decisions concerning pandemics and other public health issues I will leave that question to someone truly knowledgeable on the subject ... someone like Dr. Julie Gerberding who led the CDC from 2002 to 2009 and who will now lead Merck's vaccine division:

 "WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Dr. Julie Gerberding, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was named president of Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N) vaccine division, the company said on Monday.... She may be charged with reigniting flagging sales of Merck's Gardasil vaccine to prevent cervical cancer by protecting against human papillomavirus or HPV. After an encouraging launch Gardasil sales have been falling and were down 22 percent in the third quarter at $311 million." [Bold emphasis added - HLD]

One thing I would like to see emerge from the H1N1 Pandemic, whether the Pandemic label was justified or not, are studies of the impact on the health, including any negative health  effects, if any, of the many people vaccinated with H1N1 shots.  In some countries adjuvants and other ingredients, including thimerosal, were included in the H1N1 shots.  

One of the high priority  target groups to receive H1N1 shots was pregnant women. Some credible public health authorities, including Dr. Bernadine Healy, have pointed out that thimerosal,  a mercury based preservative, crosses the placenta.  It would seem appropriate to me to keep data on the health effects of the H1N1 vaccine on  these women and the children who received the H1N1 shots in utero. 

It seems to this humble layperson that the developmental histories of children born during this time period from pregnant women who (1) did not receive the H1N1 shot (2) received the H1N1 shot without thimerosal, (3) received the H1N1 shot without adjuvants should be compared.   As someone with an interest in autism disorders and what causes them I am interested in particular in seeing a comparison of  autism rates 2+ years from now of children whose mothers were carrying them when they  received H1N1 shots containing thimerosal  and children whose mothers, while carrying them, received H1NH1 vaccine shots without thimerosal.

No I am not expecting such studies to be done and yes I do expect to be ignored, ridiculed or demonized for making these suggestions.  But I am making them anyway.

autism

Autism Rising or Not? Mercury Disproved as Autism Cause or Not?

In an exchange at About.com: Autism AutismNewsBeat, the host of a blog which claims to serve as an evidence based autism resource for journalists, (it is really more of an ideologically driven Neurodiversity blog), has taken the position that there has been no real increase in autism over the past two decades. Yet ANB fails to understand that in taking that position he is disavowing the assertion by many that a thimerosal (mercury preservative in vaccines) causal connection to autism was disproved by the increase in autism rates after the removal of thimerosal from vaccines in 2002:

"(10) AutismNewsBeat says:

“Will the media herd ever note that the same authorities who say that they can’t be sure that autism is really increasing today because of the 93-94 diagnostic definition changes state that that thimerosal was disproven as an autism trigger because autism increased after the alleged removal of thimerosal from vaccines in Denmark in 2002?”

Harold knows that there is a difference between an increase in “autism”, and an increase in “autism diagnoses”. There are no data to show one way or another that autism prevalence has increased much over the last two decades. But it is indisputable that autism diagnoses have grown considerably.

ANB simply fails to grasp, or more likely acknowledge , that by claiming there is no real increase in autism diagnoses he is trashing the claim that autism continued to increase after removal of thimerosal from vaccines. By doing so he is arguing against the claim that any thimerosal (mercury in vaccines) autism connection has been disproved. (Except for flu vaccines but no one gets flu vaccines right?).

Perhaps AutismNewsBeat should tell Dr. Paul Offit to change the title to Chapter 6 of his novel "Autism's False Prophets" from "Mercury Falling" to "Mercury Falling, Autism Who Knows".

One point on which everyone, except perhaps AutismNewsBeat, should be able to agree is that if autism was rising after the removal of thimerosal there is no reason to assume that autism is not rising today. Conversely, if autism is not rising to day there is no reason to conclude that a causal connection between thimerosal and autism has been disproved.

Which is it folks? Autism Rising or Not?. Thimerosal (Mercury) as Autism Cause Disproved or Not?

autism

Autism and Vaccine Safety in the Swine Flu Era: Does Calling Something A Myth Make It So?

According to many mainstream media sources here in Canada the H1N1 Swine Flu is perfectly safe and effective and .... oh yes ... any possible connection between vaccines and autism has been disproved. These sources usually provide little or nothing to back up their sweeping claims other than to rely on, and refer their readers to, the web sites of public health authorities. "Journalists" in the mainstream media routinely dismiss anything published by a blogger as lacking credibility. These alleged journalists also routinely describe any position on vaccines and autism, or any statement that questions the safety of efficacy of the H1N1 vaccine, as a myth. In most cases the alleged journalists provide no reference to any study to back up their characterization of serious issues as myths held by cranks and hysterical parents. Obviously calling something a myth does not make it so but, in the current Swine Flu Era, name calling is routinely substituted for serious commentary. All in the interest of promoting public safety of course.

One childish example of the simplistic, vaccine cheer leading that passes for public health journalism in the Swine Flu Era is the opinion piece Separating myth from fact in debate about flu vaccine by Craig McInnes. You will not find any information casting doubt on vacine safety or efficacy in Mr. McInnes opinion piece. There is no mention of the four people in Sweden who died after receiving the H1N1 vaccine. Promoting intelligent thought and discussion about vaccines is not the objective of the McInnes opinion piece. No, the sole objective is to convince people that they must get the H1N1 vaccine. To help achieve that end any questions or concerns surrounding the safety or efficacy of vaccines generally MUST, be described, as arising from myths generated by ... ugh ... bloggers.

Mr. McInnes begins his opining with a bit of mockery:

So did you hear? You can protect yourself from swine flu by putting bowls of cut-up onions in every room of your house.

No really, it's true, I read it on the Internet, on the same website that had the skinny on the giant albino alligators that live in New York city sewers, a scandal that the government has tried to suppress for years.

And there it is. With that McInnes opens by relegating anyone whose views do not conform to those of public health authorities to the whackjob heap. (Except, presumably, those German authorities concerned about adjuvants in the H1N1 vaccine who are not mentioned in the McInnes opinion). Since this is an autism blog here is what Mr. McInnes has to say about vaccines and autism:

Myth: Thimerosal, which is used as a preservative in flu vaccines, contains mercury, a dangerous poison, and causes autism.•

Fact: The amount of mercury in a dose of H1N1 vaccine is less than you would get from a can of tuna and the version with the adjuvant requires only one-tenth that much.

The relationship between thimerosal and autism has been widely studied and no causal link has been found.

Mr. McInnes is not the first to use the tuna fish argument without mentioning that in fact cautions have been expressed by health authorities about tuna fish consumption for that very reason. Nor does he seem aware that digesting a tuna fish does not involve the same bodily processes as injecting a mercury preservative directly into the body of a pregnant woman or young child, thus bypassing some of the defensive processes involved with food consumption.

Mr. McInnes also appears to be unaware that a non blogger named Dr. Bernadine Healy, a former NIH head, has several times stated the need for more research on vaccine autism issues using as one reason the fact that the mercury based preservative thimerosal crosses the placenta. It has been indicated that Thimerosal will be contained in vaccines given to pregnant women in some Canadian jurisdictions, including here in New Brunswick.

Mr. McInnes, to his credit, does not go so far as to say that a thimerosal link has been disproved. He simply declares that no causal link has been found. With that though he ignores the anecdotal evidence of thousands of parents who saw their children regress after receipt of vaccines. He also fails to mention that the few, not many, studies that did not find a causal link have been criticized for their methodological weaknesses. One, the Madsen, Danish study of 2003 did not purport to offer itself as anything other than a call for MORE research. That study found that autism rates continued to rise after removal of thimerosal. The authors of the study pointed out, however, that the period studied overlapped a significant event - diagnostic definition changes in the DSM and ICD which added substantially to the numbers of persons receiving autism diagnoses.

In opining that no causal link has been found between thimerosal and autism Mr. McInnes also appears to be unaware that serious attempts to investigate such a connection have been expressly thwarted by the IOM review of 2004 and by the IACC which used procedural shenanigans to quash its own proposal to conduct an observational study comparing autism rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. Such as study has been called for by Dr. Healy and by Dr. Julie Gerberding until recently a head of the CDC. Dr. Jon Poling has also called for more vaccine autism research. Mr. McInnes may be unaware that Dr. Poling is not a blogger. He is a neurologist whose daughter was the plaintiff in a vaccine case settled in her favor by the US government which acknowledged that her "autism like symptoms" may have been caused when her existing mitochondrial disorder was aggravated by vaccination.

Craig McInnes alleges that what he calls myths being spread contribute to increased illness and deaths from Swine Flu by persuading people not to get vaccinated. He does not refer to any studies which show that Swine Flu vaccine has been shown to protect against the Swine Flu. A few months ago we were warned by public health authorities that Swine Flu mutates rapidly. Now we are asked to believe that vaccine has been developed which has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing the flu even though it may have mutated into a different form? In fact he provides no reference to any studies which indicate that seasonal flu vaccines are effective in preventing other flus which, apparently, are in a process of continual mutation.

Apart from the lack of proven efficacy for H1N1 vaccines Mr. McInnes provided no proof that Canadians choosing not to get vaccinated do so because of internet bloggers. The fact is that mainstream media outlets have published survey results indicating that many front line health care workers including nurses and some doctors did not intend to get vaccinated for H1N1. And there is no proof at all that Canadians generally are not going to get vaccinated. News reports in recent days have shown line-ups with thousands of people waiting for hours for vaccines often without getting them.

Hopefully the learned Mr. McInnes will not also blame the internet or bloggers for the failure to ensure adequate vaccine supplies for those who want them or for the failure to provide sufficient organization to deliver them.

We do not need any more myths, including those generated by mainstream journalists like Craig McInnes.

autism

Double Standards Applied to Autism Prevalence Data

With the recent dramatic change in estimated autism rates from 1 in 150 to 1 in 91 over just a two year period public health authorities, and Neurodiversity ideologues and pseudo skeptics have pulled out a number of arguments to deny, once again, that autism is rising, that there is a real increase in autism. The arguments used in denying any real increase in autism disorders over the past 2 years, are reruns of arguments used to deny increases in autism for the past 15 years. Very, very curiously, however, the same authorities, the same allegedly skeptical, scientific voices, denying autism increases also point to studies, particularly the Danish studies, using prevalence data reflecting decades of diagnoses from the early 1970's to 2000, a period encompassing drastic changes in diagnostic definition of autism disorders, heightened autism awareness, growth in autism services and increasing ability to diagnose autism.

The change in autism diagnostic definitions in the DSM III-R and DSM IV are trotted out once again 15 years later to deny the reality of autism rising. Increased social awareness is a favorite. And of course there has to be a blame the parents excuse: the alleged availability of autism services has resulted in parents seeking autism diagnoses for their children. Dr. Thomas Insel urged the world to be cautious because, after all, authorities are now better at diagnosing autism. It is not clear how the ability to diagnose autism increased by more than 50% over a two year period or what studies the good Doctor Insel relied on but after all he is the Chair of the IACC ... isn't he? But what are the implications of the unreliability of autism rate information for the vaccine autism studies which relied on such data over a longer period of time?

If all these factors diminish the reliability of a reported increase in autism disorders over a two year period, so long after the DSM III-R and DSM IV revisions of the diagnostic definitions of autism disorders, what are the implications for the vaccine autism studies that relied on increases in autism diagnoses after the removal, or the alleged removal, of thimerosal from vaccines? These studies were conducted using data that actually spanned the period prior to and after the period for which data was obtained. Can the prominent Danish studies still be used to assert that there is no correlation between thimerosal and autism?

The Madsen study (Pediatrics, September 2003) found that there was an increase in reported autism diagnoses after the removal of thimerosal from vaccines in Denmark in 1992. The authors also noted though that:

The increase in the incidence of autism from 1990 on may be attributable to more attention being drawn to the syndrome of autism and to a change in the diagnostic criteria from the ICD-8 tothe ICD-10 in 1994. Also, outpatient activities were included in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register in 1995 and because many patients with autism in former years have been treated as outpatients this may exaggerate the incidence rates, simply because a number of patients attending the child psychiatric treatment system before 1995 were recorded for the first time, and thereby counted as new cases in the incidence rates.

The above caution is not mentioned by those who claim that this study disproves a thimerosal autism correlation. Dr. Insel for example did not mention this caution when he appeared before Senator Harkin's subcommittee although he now frequently mentions such factors to downplay the recent reports of a more than 50% increase over a period of just 2 years. Dr. Offit speaks so often in support of vaccine safety that it is difficult to say that he NEVER mentions the caution expressed by the authors of the Madsen Danish study but I have never encountered it in his many high profile media appearances on the subject.

There are many other critical flaws in the studies cited by Insel, Offit and others as proving that there is no autism thimerosal connection, no autism vaccine, connection. They have been addressed at length elsewhere by Generation Rescue and other true skeptics. At this time what is terribly striking to me is the ease with which Insel and Offit and their follower's embrace wholeheartedly the studies which they claim support their no vaccine autism connection even though they suffer from the same factors they cite in denying a real autism increase, perhaps even more so. Conspiracy perhaps but the evidence is not sufficient in my humble opinion. Conflict of interest? Probably. Bad faith? Definitely.

Double standards and hypocrisy take on a serious twist in this story. The failure by Insel and Offit to properly inform parents of the risks associated with injection of potentially damaging substances into their children is justified by reliance on studies flawed by the same factors they point to in denying the existence of real increases in autism disorders.

Autism IS rising OR many of the vaccine autism studies of are of no value whatsoever. Those whose careers and livelihoods depend on denying environmental, including possible vaccine, contributors to autism are growing increasingly desperate but even they can not have it both ways when it comes to assessing autism prevalence.

autism

New Brunswick's H1N1 (Swine Flu) Vaccine Autism Experiment

New Brunswick is about to conduct its own H1N1 Vaccine Autism experiment. The H1N1 vaccines used here will contain both thimerosal AND unspecified adjuvants. As with most public health authorities the NB government information is not balanced concerning the possible risks associated with the vaccines generally and specifically with respect to possible vaccine autism connections. There is frequent mention of authorities like the WHO which called this H1N1 flu virus a pandemic in the first place, and the CDC, in supporting the safety of the vaccines generally.

There is also the usual one sided information concerning possible vaccine autism connections, information which fails to mention credible health authorities like Dr. Bernadine Healy, Dr. Julie Gerberding and Dr. Jon Poling who have said that more research needs to be done on vaccine autism issues. Nor does the information release mention the critique offered by those like Dr. Healy who points out that the "science" to date on vaccine autism issues, the epidemiological studies, are not specific enough to determine the impact of vaccines on vulnerable population subsets, on individual children with conditions that might render them vulnerable. Dr. Healy also points out that flu vaccines have contained thimerosal and thimerosal crosses the placenta. (Dr. Poling, a neurologist, was involved with the issue with his daughter on whose behalf it was successfully claimed that her autism resulted from vaccination. The US government settled on the basis that her "autism like symptoms" were caused by the vaccine aggravation of her pre-existing mitochondrial disorder).

The NB government communication release does not mention that no observational study has been done comparing autism rates of vaccinated populations with autism rates of unvaccinated populations. With the use of vaccines containing thimerosal and adjuvants, most likely squalene, with pregnant women and young children targeted for early receipt of the H1N1 vaccines, the NB government is essentially conducting such a study. Hopefully they will remember these events in assessing NB autism rates 2 to 5 years from now as the young children vaccinated with the thimerosal and adjuvant (squalene) and the new born children of vaccinated pregnant women mature.

I don't know if vaccines cause or trigger autism. I am no longer assured by overstated health authority pronouncements that vaccines do not cause autism, that the science is closed on these issues, when people of such credibility as Dr. Healy, Dr. Gerberding and Dr. Poling say more research is needed.

I do hope that our NB health authorities turn out to be right whether it is from a lucky guess or not. I hope that they save every child and adult from H1N1 flu death with no resulting cases of autism. But I am far from convinced that such will be the case. I absolutely hope that they remember this H1N1 flu vaccine and assess future autism rates with an eye to its ingredients - thimerosal, squalene and whatever other ingredients it contains. And it is probably hoping for too much for them to actually record and compare the autism rates of children who are vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine and those whose parents refuse the vaccination for them. Time will tell.

H1N1 flu virus update (09/10/08)

NB 1521

Oct. 8, 2009

FREDERICTON (CNB) - The following update on the H1N1 flu virus was issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health for New Brunswick on Thursday, Oct. 8:

• We have moved forward with our seasonal vaccination program, according to plans. It started last week and will run for the month of October. The public awareness piece accompanying the campaign speaks to those most at risk of developing complications from seasonal influenza. They are: children six-to-23 months old, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions, and the elderly. We encourage these groups to get the publicly funded vaccine. A list of clinics by region may be found at www.gnb.ca/flu.
• There has been a frequently referred to, but as-yet unpublished, Canadian study that suggests an association between seasonal flu vaccine and acquiring a mild case of the H1N1 virus. This study is inconsistent with other international studies, and has failed to show a relationship that one causes the other. Both the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization have responded to the study, saying that preliminary data show that there is no link between having a severe bout of pandemic flu and having had a seasonal flu shot last year. New Brunswick's position on this study has never changed.
• We know that seasonal flu is fatal to 100-150 New Brunswickers each year, and that children are hospitalized by influenza more than any other age group.
• In making decisions for the province, we balanced this known significant risk and a vast body of published research against the results of one unpublished study, and determined that the best way to protect all New Brunswickers from both diseases was to move ahead with our plans to run a seasonal flu immunization campaign in October, and an H1N1 immunization campaign through November.
• We are running both campaigns because it is the best decision for New Brunswick. We made operational decisions early on that will allow us to have the capacity to offer both vaccines.
• There has never been a one-size-fits-all approach to seasonal vaccines in Canada, and this year is no different. Provinces and territories have not previously had to administer two separate flu immunization programs in a single season, and some of the decisions taken on seasonal and H1N1 vaccine timing reflect concerns over logistics, capacity and likely vaccine uptake.
• The seasonal flu vaccine is safe, and those in the high-risk groups, in particular, should take the steps to receive it as soon as possible.
• There have also been reports and public speculation about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. The contents of the H1N1 vaccine will protect against contracting H1N1. The included additives and preservatives are there to help the vaccine work, and are not cause for alarm.
• As a multi-dose vaccine, the H1N1 influenza vaccine will contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal to prevent contamination of the vaccine by serious infectious agents from the growth of bacteria. Thimerosal also has a stabilizing effect on the vaccine, ensuring its effectiveness.
• The seasonal flu vaccine and most hepatitis B vaccines are also multi-dose vaccines, and thimerosal is added during the manufacturing process to maintain sterility of the vaccine.
• There is no safety reason to avoid using vaccines containing thimerosal. The best available scientific evidence to date shows no link between vaccines containing thimerosal and any adverse health condition, including neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
• The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has reviewed the safety of thimerosal and concluded that, "There is no legitimate safety reason to avoid the use of thimerosal-containing products for children or older individuals, including pregnant women." International bodies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, share this opinion.
• Most of the H1N1 vaccine available in New Brunswick will also contain an adjuvant. An adjuvant is a substance that is added to a vaccine in order to boost an individual's immune response. It also means that less of the virus, or antigen, is needed to make a dose of the vaccine. Unadjuvanted vaccine has no booster element, and more antigen is needed to create this kind of vaccine.
• By developing an adjuvanted vaccine, Canada has used less of the virus material (antigen), allowing us to immunize more people in a timely manner.
• Adjuvants are not new. Many commonly used vaccines in Canada contain an adjuvant. Adjuvants have been used for several decades to boost immune response to vaccines. However, adjuvants have not previously been used with influenza vaccines in Canada.
• The WHO has indicated that it has no special concerns about the safety of adjuvanted H1N1 vaccines in general.
• New Brunswickers should continue to protect themselves and those around them by washing their hands thoroughly and often, coughing or sneezing into sleeves, staying home if sick, and keeping common surfaces clean.
• Persons at high risk of complications from influenza-like illness should seek medical attention promptly. Those at risk include pregnant women, people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, or those with compromised immune systems.
• Persons with influenza-like symptoms should stay home and minimize contact with family members as much as possible. If symptoms worsen, they should visit their physician or nurse-practitioner, a walk-in clinic or the nearest hospital emergency department.
• It is recommended that persons with influenza-like symptoms limit contact with other people, including other household members until they are free of symptoms and are feeling well.
• Those experiencing influenza-like illness should consider ending self-isolation when they are able to participate fully in all of their normal daily activities.
• It is important for New Brunswickers to understand that if they do not have influenza-like symptoms it is safe to go to work and school, to participate in activities and to socialize.
• More information on the H1N1 flu virus may be found online, or by calling the 24-hour H1N1 line, 1-800-580-0038.

• 09/10/08

  MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Phillips, media relations, H1N1 Pandemic, Department of Health, 506-444-3821, flumedia@gnb.ca.

autism

Autism Research Leadership: Katie Wright Rips the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and Dr. Tom Insel

Katie Wright has written a hard hitting piece,"Can You Hear Me Now?", on the role of the IACC and Dr. Tom Insel in preventing funding of meaningful vaccine autism studies including the comparative study of vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. The article was written for SafeMinds and reprinted with permission at Age of Autism. Ms Wright calls for Secretary Sebelius "to investigate Dr. Insel’s actions and reinstatement of vaccine objectives that were removed under false premises in January from the IACC’s Strategic Plan. "

It will be interesting to see whether President Obama and Secretary Sebelius respond to the SafeMinds/Katie Wright request. Given Secretary Sebelius statements about the safety of the as yet untested Swine Flu vaccine and thimerosal it does not seem likely that the Obama administration will conduct a critical examination of the IACC and Dr. Insel's leadership on vaccine and autism issues.

autism

More Autism on the Way? Swine Flu Vaccine Adjuvants, Thimerosal and Autism

Pregnant women will be at the front of the line for the Swine Flu vaccine in many countries. Mercury in thimerosal crosses the placental barrier. So thimerosal will not be used in the Swine Flu vaccine right? WRONG!. Thimerosal will be used and its negative effects, including possibly autism in some of the women's children, could be enhanced by the aluminum adjuvants used in the vaccines.

Australian scientist Vera Scheibner Ph.D., has described the effects of aluminum adjuvants including the enhancement of mercury toxicity and possible autism implications amongst a host of other health issues in The Terrifying World Of Vaccine Adjuvants:

Adjuvants are formulated compounds, which when combined with vaccine antigens intensify
the body’s immune response. They are used to elicit an early, high and long-lasting immune
response. “The chemical nature of adjuvants, their mode of action and their reactions (side
effect) are highly variable in terms of how they affect the immune system and how serious their adverse effects are due to the resultant hyperactivation of the immune system. While
adjuvants enable the use of less *antigen to achieve the desired immune response and reduce vaccine production costs, with few exceptions, adjuvants are foreign to the body and cause adverse reactions”, writes Australian scientist Viera Scheibner Ph.D, (1) The most common adjuvant for human use is an aluminum salt called alum derived from aluminum hydroxide, or aluminum phosphate. A quick read of the scientific literature reveals that the neurotoxic effects of aluminum were recognized 100 years ago. Aluminum is a neurotoxicant and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.

The article cites Boyd Haley for the proposition that vaccines which contain both aluminum adjuvants and mercury based preservative, greatly magnify the neurotoxic effects. The article comments on squalenes used in vaccines and a process called molecular mimicry and ties molecular mimicry to the autism epidemic:

Tying molecular mimicry to the autism epidemic, many children have regressed into autism spectrum disorders after injection with the triple live virus MMR (measles,mumps,rubella) vaccine. Dr.Vijendra Singh’s research at Utah State University suggests that auto-antibodies are attacking myelin in these children. He has shown that many autistic children have auto-antibodies to brain myelin basic protein (MBP) as well as elevated levels of measles virus antibodies. “Immunoblotting analysis showed the presence of an unusual MMR antibody in 60% (75 of 125) of autistic children, but none of the 92 normal children had this antibody. In addition, there was a positive correlation (greater than 90%) between MMR antibody and MBP auto-antibody, suggesting a causal association between MMR and brain autoimmunity
in autism. This is one of the most important findings in autism to date, which prompted us to link measles virus in the etiology of the disorder”, writes Dr. Singh. (8,9,10)

These excepts are a small selection of the information contained in this article which I recommend for reading by anyone who is interested in reading beyond the standard public health authority assurances about the possible consequences of the still not tested Swine Flu Vaccines. Although I have extracted sections directly referencing autism the article covers many other issues associated with vaccine adjuvants.

autism

Vaccine-Autism War: Japanese Mouse Study Supports Biological Plausiblility of Thimerosal Autism Association

The abstract of a Japanese (Minami T, Miyata E, Sakamoto Y, Yamazaki H, Ichida S, Department of Life Sciences, School of Science & Engineering, Kinki University, Osaka), study of mice injected with low levels of thimerosal published in Cell Biology and Toxicology, April 2009, indicates that the study results "help to support the possible biological plausibility for how low-dose exposure to mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines may be associated with autism".

The authors reported the presence of Metallothionein (MT) proteins, which are inducible, in the cerebellums of the mice in correlation with the thimerosal injections. They reason that the cerebelllum is thimerosal senstitive and the presence of the MT proteins after injection of thimerosal combined with the brain pathology of patients observed with autism helps support the possible biological plausibility of a thimerosal/mercury and autism association.

autism

Vaccine-Autism War: Globe & Mail's Andre Picard Decrees Vaccines Safe

Andre Picard of the Globe and Mail has decreed that vaccines do not cause autism. In Picard's own words:

Vaccines do not cause autism.

The science proving this point has been quite clear for a number of years.

There is nothing new in Picard's decree. He relies on the recent vaccine court decisions and resorts to the usual demeaning dismissals of parents and professionals who express concerns about vaccines:

That's because a whole industry of hucksters has sprung up to promote alternatives to vaccines, and the vocal (and Web-savvy) minority of conspiracy theorists will see these thorough, thoughtful rulings as, well, just another part of the conspiracy by Big Pharma to poison kids for profit.

I submitted a comment about Picard's opinion piece to the Globe and Mail but it was not accepted as a comment on the moderated opinion section. I did not insult Mr. Picard or use any inappropriate language. What I did do was:

1) point out that there have in fact been thousands of settlements of vaccine lawsuits where brain injuries and neurological damage including autistic like symptoms have been claimed and that the US government has paid to settle those claims and that there have been many reports in learned journals informing of serious vaccine reactions;

2) point out that in the Poling case which the government settled the government (former CDC head Dr. Julie Gerberding) acknowledged that the vaccine could result in autism like symptoms);

3) point out that Dr. Bernadine Healy has stated that the studies which did not find a vaccine-autism connection were epidemiological studies which were not able to examine possible vaccine-autism results amongst vulnerable population subsets;

4) point out as Dr. Healy stated in 2008, as researcher Teresa Binstock did in 1999 and as shown at p. 152 of the IOM Vaccine Safety Report (2004) and in the recent cancellation of vaccine-autism studies by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (2009) that government health authorities have actively discouraged and suppressed the type of research which might show a vaccine-autism connection amongst some population subsets;

5) point out that Dr. Julie Gerberding has stated that studies of unvaccinated children have never been done but could and should be done;

6) point out that contrary to Andre Picard's claim, and the frequently stated claim that thimerosal has been removed from all children's vaccines the FDA web site says otherwise:

(FDA Website: "Thimerosal has been removed from or reduced to trace amounts in all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine").

I also put on the record for the Globe and Mail, in my rejected comment submission, that I am the parent of a 13 year old autistic boy who has never attributed his autism to vaccines. I have changed my mind from the belief that a vaccine-autism connection has been disproved to being undecided.

I am undecided because of the facts set out above. If Andre Picard and the Globe and Mail wish to dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist fine but they should rebut the facts that I have set out in this comment or show that my reasoning in relation to those facts is flawed.

Of course they can use their bully pulpit to issue Picardian decrees about vaccine safety and simply ignore facts and reason.

And they can still continue to pretend to be journalists while they are at it.


autism

On Autism and Vaccines I Have Changed My Mind

Undecided

I have changed my mind about autism and vaccines. That fact alone probably puts me in a very small group amongst the many people who have discussed, debated and fought over the question of whether vaccines cause autism.

For many years I accepted without serious question the assertions of various health authorities that there is no vaccine-autism connection and that the possibility of such a connection had been disproved by epidemiological studies. Events over the past couple of years have caused me to reconsider my thinking about a possible vaccine-autism connection. I have not reached the point where I think it is proved that vaccines cause or contribute to autism but I have reached the point, once unthinkable for me, that I believe that such a connection is possible. If CNN's John King was doing one of his Magic Wall commentaries he would move me from the "vaccines do not cause autism" camp to the "undecided" camp.

Most of the events that have moved me to question the official position on vaccines and autism are well known:

1. The Poling case

2. The reaction to the Poling case by Dr. Julie Gerberding and other officials and the dubious attempt to distinguish between "autism" and "autism like symptoms".

3. Dr. Bernadine Healy's comments concerning the limitations on the epidemiological studies, the need to conduct lab and clinical studies, the fact that mercury/thimersoal is still contained in some vaccines, including some given to pregnant women.

4. The fact that there are still "trace" amounts of thimerosal in most vaccines and more than trace amounts in others (see the FDA web site) including those given to pregnant women. (What studies actually prove that "trace" or "small" amounts of a mercury based substance injected directly into a child can not cause neurological damage?).

5. The fact, and it is a fact, that public health authorities discouraged clinical /biological research into possible vaccine autism connections as they expressly did at page 152 of the 2004 IOM Report on vaccine safety.

6. The demonization by health authorities and professionals, Dr. Offit for example, of parents, and professionals, who assert a vaccine-autism connection.

These are the facts that have led me to move away from my acceptance of official proclamations that a vaccine autism connection has been disproved. I have not accepted yet that vaccines or thimerosal cause or trigger autism. But I do have an open mind on the subject and I do believe that more research, beyond epidemiological studies must be done, on vaccine, thimerosal and other possible environmental causes and triggers of autism.

It is foolhardy to pretend that we know all there is to know on the complex questions surrounding the causes of autism disorders. Unless we do the research we will never know and will never find possible preventative measures and cures for autism disorders.

autism

Has Thimerosal Actually Been Removed From Vaccines? If Not, Of What Value Are the Epidemiological Studies?

Are the epidemiological studies relied upon by public authorities to refute assertions that the mercury based vaccine preservative thimerosal is responsible for some or all autism cases reliable?

These studies tend to show that autism rates did not decline after removal of thimerosal from vaccines. This past year the epidemiological defense of vaccines took a hit with the Poling case and with assertions by Dr. Bernardine Healy, a former director of the American Red Cross and the US National Institutes of Health, that the necessary clinical research to refute such a connection had not been done, particularly into subsets of children who might be genetically vulnerable or prediposed to develop when autism triggered by mercury or other toxins? Dr. Healy stated in Fighting the Autism-Vaccine War, US News & World Report, April 10, 2008, that:

“vaccine experts tend to look at the population as a whole, not at individual patients. And population studies are not granular enough to detect individual metabolic, genetic, or immunological variation that might make some children under certain circumstances susceptible to neurological complications after vaccination.

She also stated, amongst other points, that:

thimerosal crosses the placenta, and pregnant women are advised to get flu shots, which often contain it.

I find that last statement very troubling. If the epidemiological studies are based on the premise that thimerosal has been removed from vaccines and in fact they have not then what is the probative value, if any, of the epidemiological studies? Particularly given the pregnancy context cited by Dr. Healy.

I am only a humble small town lawyer in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada but my concern is prompted in significant part by the information provided by a prominent and accomplished member of the US medical establishment. Other credible sources also lead me to the same concern about whether thimerosal has, or has not, been removed from vaccines as claimed in the public health authorities' refutations of vaccine-autism connections.

As of this posting the web site of the US Food and Drug Administration states: Over the past several years, because of an increasing awareness of the theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercurials and because of the increased number of thimerosal containing vaccines that had been added to the infant immunization schedule, concerns about the use of thimerosal in vaccines and other products have been raised. Indeed, because of these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration has worked with, and continues to work with, vaccine manufacturers to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines.

Thimerosal has been removed from or reduced to trace amounts in all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine (see Table 1). A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women. Some vaccines such as Td, which is indicated for older children (≥ 7 years of age) and adults, are also now available in formulations that are free of thimerosal or contain only trace amounts. Vaccines with trace amounts of thimerosal contain 1 microgram or less of mercury per dose.

The above, current statements from the US FDA, raise several concerns for me:

1) Theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercurials

The use of the term "theoretical potential for neurotoxicity" tells me that potential toxcity of organomercurials has NOT been definitively ruled out by the FDA. I appreciate that the expression is used in an historical context to explain the decision to remove mercury based preservatives from vaccines but surely the FDA web site would have immediately stated after that comment that there was no longer even a theoretical potential if such were the case.

2) continues to work with, vaccine manufacturers to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines.

Again, this information is taken from the web site of the US FDA as it exists today. Why are they continuing to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines if the epidemiological studies were based on the premise that thimerosal had already been removed? I appreciate that some of the studies are from other countries but have those countries all completely removed thimerosal from vaccines? If so, why were those other countries able to completely remove thimerosal when the US can not?

In the United States a study by the California Department of Health released in February 2008 found that autism rates remained steady after the removal of thimerosal from vaccines. That study conclusion was qualified though by Dr. Robert Schechter, a health officer with the California health department and lead author on the report of the study as reported in the Lexington-Herald, February 5, 2008:

As for Haley's argument that some children still might be getting some mercury from vaccines, Schechter said that could be true. But he said the general removal of thimerosal from vaccines still should have caused autism rates to fall -- if mercury were the culprit in the disease. "I would not claim that children are getting no mercury from vaccines," Schechter said. "But the average exposure for the population has been substantially decreased over the past decade. If mercury from vaccinations was a primary cause of autism, you would expect rates to be dropping substantially."

Substantial decrease is not the same as total removal of mercury from vaccines. The California epidemiological study, at least, is not based on removal of mercury from vaccines.

3) Trace amounts

The FDA site, as quoted above, states that vaccines with trace amounts of thimerosal contain 1 microgram or less of mercury per dose. That certainly sounds like a very small amount and the implication appears to be that the amount is too small to have any effect. But the FDA also referred to the theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercurials.

It seems dubious to claim that epidemiological studies show no autism increase after removal of mercury-thimerosal if all elements of the material have not in fact been removed when the potential for neurotoxicity is recognized even in small amounts. Partcularly since the FDA, as stated above, considers vaccines with trace amounts to be vaccines with the mercury removed:

A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women.

Why leave trace amounts in the vaccines to begin with? If trace amounts of thimerosal can still have a preservative effect on bacteria in the vaccines then why can't they also have a neurotoxic effect on children receiving the vaccines? And some of the flu vaccines, the ones not considered thimerosal free, contain more than trace amounts of thimerosal.

I am not a medical authority and do not pretend to be. Nor do I claim that vaccines or thimerosal cause autism. As some one who does earn his living by some degree of critical thinking and analysis I find the statements of public health authorities about epidemiological studies refuting a vaccine-autism link open to question.

Their own statements appear to contradict their claims that the studies refuting a vaccine-autism link are based on periods when thimerosal was removed from vaccines.

autism